II. BOOK press severely on every class of the social order, before any general sensibility can so vindictively arise, as to break the chain of oppression on the heads of the oppressors. Years of misery must therefore first revolve, before a national chastisement of this sort will occur: and while this was slowly preparing to overwhelm the misled Mary, but was only in its growing state, her machinery of evil continued to go on in all its infelicitating operations. Instead of lessening its mischief, its promoters were seeking to extend the inquisitorial eye and scourge from the highest to the lowest, from the most solemn to the most minute concerns. The sullen despotism of the throne was not insensible to its own peril; and sought to avert what it had provoked, by proclamations of new violence, which treated human life like worthless and disposeable lumber, that power might destroy whenever it pleased. But Mary's fortunate demise preserved the public peace, and began the public happiness. The metropolis exulted at the 2 Only a week before the deaths of the queen and cardinal, on 10th November, five persons were burnt alive at Canterbury, and therefore under Pole's authority. Strype, v. 3, part 2, p. 123. So determined were both, to the last, to continue the exterminating system. 2 It was made a request before the inquisitorial commissioners at Ipswich, in 1556, 'That none may be suffered to be midwives but such as are catholic.' One woman was presented by the sworn informer, 'who presumeth upon the office of a midwife not called;' another for swelling by too much riches into wealth;' two 'for refusing to behold the elevation of the sacrament;' others for not having their children dipped in the font ; and thirty-four for flying out of the town, and hiding themselves. Foxe, 1894, 5. On 6th June 1558, the proclamation was issued, which, reciting that 'divers books filled with heresy, sedition, and treason, had been brought into the realm, and some covertly printed,' declared, that 'whoever shall be found to have any of the said books; or finding them, doth not forthwith burn the same, without shewing or reading them to any other person, shall be taken for a rebel, and without delay be executed according to MARTIAL LAW.' See it in Strype, v. 3, part 2, p. 131. XVII. change. The cruel were disarmed. Their terrors CHAP. ceased. They were yet too ruthless, and too formidable, to make it safe for the new queen to develop at once all the meliorations which she contemplated; but the general mind, inferring her future conduct from her anterior character, the heart felt a new happiness to be advancing on it as she acceded, and became immediately exhilarated with the belief, that it would possess the sweet enjoyments of an unfettered judgment and of a liberated conscience, undismayed by dungeons, torture, confiscations, or the agonizing flame.5 That Elizabeth had survived the jealousy of Mary and the political hatred of the restored papal hierarchy, was owing in part to that Spanish chivalry, which would not allow a princely female to be killed for Machiavellian policy;" altho its bigotry could see beretics in the fire without compassion, and perhaps Strype, v. 3, part 2, p. 118. 5 Speed has arranged those who were burnt by Mary, under these classes: 5 Bishops, 21 Divines, 8 Gentlemen, 84 Artificers, 100 Husbandmen, servants, and labourers. 26 Wives, 20 Widows, 2 Boys, 2 Infants. Hist. Eng. p. 852. 6 When Lord Paget said, that the king would not have any quiet commonwealth in England, unless her head were stricken from the shoulders, the Spaniards answered, God forbid that their king and master should have that mind to consent to such a mischief." From that day the Spaniards never left off their good persuasions to the king, that the like honor he should never obtain as in delivering the lady Elizabeth out of prison; whereby at length she was happily relieved.' Foxe, 1899. One of these Spaniards was the duke of Alva, who was in England on 14th April 1555. See Mason's letter in Burnet's Ref. v. 6, p. 333. Philip so much befriended her, that in September 1555, he recommended her to Mary in several letters, and also to the Spanish lords who were in England. Noailles, 5, p. 127. BOOK II. with satisfaction: and in part also to Philip's political jealousies. She declared to the French ambassador, after her accession, the dread and danger in which she had been living.' This lasted while Gardiner existed; but when this her most dangerous foe had departed, the better feelings of cardinal Pole, naturally right and gentlemanly whenever he could separate them from his Roman bondage, may have secretly contributed to her preservation. But her greatest safety was in the general sympathy, which increased as Mary's popularity declined. The council of the reigning queen had sought to intimidate or allure this sister, whom she so disliked, into such an admission of guilt as would justify the imprisonment to which they had subjected her; but the princess wisely preferred to endure the worst result, than to confess a falsehood that would implicate her with crime and danger." It is manifest that if the insidious request had obtained from her a selfaccusation, it would have been used as the pretext 7 See the remark of Castelnau, quoted before, page 491, note 88. In her declaration of 1 October 1585, Elizabeth avowed her obligations to Philip: We do most willingly acknowlege that we were beholden to him in the time of our late sister, which we then did acknowlege very thankfully, and have sought many ways since to requite.' See it in Morgan's Phen. Britan. p. 308. Foxe has transmitted to us one instance of his unconcealed respect to her. He represents Sheriffe as saying, I saw yesterday in the court that my ford cardinal meeting her in the chamber of presence, kneeled down on his knees, and kissed her hand.' Foxe, 1901. At Woodstock, a secret friend advised her to make this submission. She refused: If I have offended, and am guilty, then I crave no mercy, but the law, which I am certain I should have had ere this, if it could be proved against me. But I know myself to be out of the danger of it, and wish I was as clean out of the peril of mine enemies, and then I am assured I should not be so locked and bolted up within walls and doors as I am.' Foxe, 1898. or palliative for future severities, and have averted the public pity. Born of Anne Boleyn at the period when her mother's beauty and graces were most strongly interesting the difficult taste of Henry VIII., ELIZABETH was yet an unwelcomed child, because she disappointed her father's hope of a son and male successor.10 He recovered from his vexation so far as to give her a splendid christening; but she was often made to feel, during his reign, that she was not the offspring he desired; and the precipitated downfall of her mother prevented her from sharing those royal splendors and that high consideration, which Mary had received from her birth, and retained, till her mother's unfortunate divorce. Adversity is not unsalutary to our eager youth; and often converts its privations into blessings, which enrich the maturer age. Elizabeth experienced its advantages while her father reigned: nor were the dangers and depression of her life and spirits, for the first five years after the eager age of twenty, under her sister's dissatisfaction, less salutary to the strength and improvement of her intellectual personality. From this beneficial discipline, she came to the throne at the age of twentyfive, with a mind which had been highly cultivated by her studies, and much exercised by her sufferings; which had all the vigor of youth, yet tempered with the prudence of maturity; and which, long accustomed to self-government, found a sufficiency of still surrounding difficulties, to continue its moral education, and to animate it into activity, penetration, 10 She was born on 7 Sept. 1533. Hist. Henry VIII. v. 2. p. 340. XVII. BOOK serene fortitude, and solid judgment. By these qualities, she maintained her throne unshaken, made her people happy, and attached to her reign the affectionate popularity of her immediate subjects; and to her memory, a grateful admiration from their benefited posterity. The attempt to draw her into a self-arraignment was renewed in the last period of Gardiner's administration, in the summer of 1555, when she was brought to Hampton Court under a strict guard;" but she embraced the opportunity of the state examination, to express to the four ministers who came. to her apartment, her intreaty to be set at liberty." Gardiner, evading the concession of this great boon, urged her to admit the charge against her, and then to put herself on the queen's mercy. She spiritedly refused.13 The next day he intimated that her compliance was necessary for their indemnity." This "Foxe, p. 1900. 19 6 My Lords, I am glad to see you; for methinks I have been kept a great while from you, desolately alone. Wherefore I would desire you to be a mean to the king and queen's majesties, that I may be delivered from my prison, wherein I have been kept a long space; as to you, my lords! it is not unknown.' Foxe, ib. 13 She made answer, that rather than she would do so, she would lie in prison all her life. She craved no mercy at her majesty's hand; but rather desired the law, if ever she did offend her majesty in thought, word, or deed. And besides this; in yielding, I should speak against myself, and confess myself to be an offender, which I never was towards her majesty; by occasion whereof the king and the queen might ever hereafter conceive of me an evil opinion; and therefore, I say, my lords! it were better for me to lie in prison for the truth, than to be abroad and suspected of my prince.' Foxe, 1900. 14 Gardiner, kneeling down, declared that the queen marvelled that she would so stoutly use herself, not confessing to have offended, so that the queen should seem to have wrongfully imprisoned her grace. "Nay,' quoth the lady Elizabeth, it may please her to punish me as she thinketh good.' Gardiner's answer was, Her majesty willeth me to tell that you, you must tell another tale, ere that you be set at liberty. The princess replied, 'She had as lief be in prison with |